Bradley," that we may pay our money, and "see, and see, and see again,
and still glean something new, something to please, and something to
instruct;" and, lastly, in a fit of enthusiasm, exclaim,
"To wake the soul by tender strokes of art,
To raise the genius and to mend the heart,
To make mankind in conscious virtue bold,
Live o'er each scene, and be what they behold;"
For this great Jocko's self first leap'd the stage;
For this was puffd in ev'ry well-bribed page,
From evening "Courier" down to Sunday "Age!"{13}
13 It is suspicious, to say the least of it, this excess of
praise to an old representation; for, after all, punch, the
original punch, punch in the street, though not so loud, is
ten times more to "our manner born," and much more original.
That the beings who banish legitimate performers should
puff, till we grow sick, a "thing of shreds and patches!"
But "the world is still deceived by ornament."
~279~~But Charles Kemble pays well on occasions, and gold would make
"Hyperion" of a "satyr." Seriously, Mr. Blackmantle, the town is overrun
with monkeys; they are as busy, and as importunate, as Lady Montague's
boys on May day, or the Guy Fawkes representatives on the fifth of
November.
Pages:
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851